Sherif El Bendary's "On the Road to Downtown," set around Cairo's Tahrir Square, follows the lives and hopes of six people connected in different ways to the city's downtown core.
Against the background of the Egyptian revolution and the current political state of affairs in Egypt as a common denominator, "On the road to …. Downtown" follows few individuals and their perspective on downtown Cairo, its history and current state of affairs. Across different generations, sexes, classes, languages, religions, following the parallel lines of these individuals, unconnected but yet linked by their own experience of downtown Cairo, the film pays homage to a district and it's life. Like a mosaic, the stories fall into place and paint a picture of a diverse, rich, warm and providing district, with its complex inner dynamics.

2011, 53 min, Egypt/Qatar
directed by Sherif El Bandary


Winner of the Jury Prize in the Category "Short Documentary" and the Al Jazeera film prize for best documentary at the 15th Ismailia International Film Festival 2012.